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Pregame Notes: Rangers Vs. Columbus

2013-14: Game No. 16

Thursday, 11.07.2013 / 12:50 PM
New York Rangers

NEW YORK RANGERS at COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

Thursday, Nov. 7, 7:00 p.m. ET

Nationwide Arena – Columbus, OH

Rangers: 7-8-0 (14 pts)

Blue Jackets: 5-9-0 (10 pts)

TONIGHT’S GAME

The Rangers will face-off against the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight, Nov. 7, at Nationwide Arena (7:00 p.m. — TV: MSG Network; Radio: ESPN 98.7), in the second game of a back-to-back set. The Blueshirts currently rank fourth in the Metropolitan Division standings, and ninth in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 7-8-0 (14 pts). The Rangers enter the contest having defeated the Penguins, 5-1, earlier tonight at Madison Square Garden, to complete their four-game homestand with a 3-1-0 mark. New York has won five of their last seven games. The Blue Jackets enter the contest with a 5-9-0 (10 pts) record to rank 12th in the Eastern Conference, and have lost four straight games. Following tonight's contest, the Rangers will return to action when they face-off against the Florida Panthers on Sunday, Nov. 10, at Madison Square Garden (7:00 p.m.).

RANGERS vs. BLUE JACKETS:

All-Time: 5-6-1-0 overall (3-1-1-0 at home; 2-5-0-0 on the road)

2013-14: tonight is the first of four meetings this season, and the first of two meetings at Nationwide Arena.

Last Season: Did not play. In 2011-12, New York was 1-0-0 overall (1-0-0 at home; 0-0-0 on the road), following a 3-2 overtime win on Feb. 19 at Madison Square Garden. Derek Stepan notched the game-winning goal 22 seconds into overtime, while Michael Del Zotto led all skaters with two assists in the contest. Henrik Lundqvist made 21 saves in the win.

The Rangers have won three of their last four meetings with the Blue Jackets, including each of their last two meetings at Madison Square Garden.

Four-on-Four: New York did not tally/yield a goal in one four-on-four situation (0:15) earlier tonight vs. Pittsburgh, and are now -1 in 18 four-on-four situations (27:34) this season. Four-on-four goals for (2): 10/16 at WSH (J. Moore); 10/26 at DET (Brassard). Four-on-four goals allowed (3): 10/3 at PHX (Vrbata); 10/7 at LAK (Muzzin); 10/12 at STL (Backes).

BACK-TO-BACKS:

Scheduled to play in 13 back-to-back sets this season

Combined record – 3-2-0

Record in 1st game – 2-1-0 (1-1-0 at home; 1-0-0 on the road)

Record in 2nd game – 1-1-0 (0-0-0 at home; 1-1-0 on the road)

Last season – 7-4-1; 1st game, 4-1-1 (3-0-0 at home; 1-1-1 on the road); 2nd game, 3-3-0 (0-2-0 at home; 3-1-0 on the road)

Henrik Lundqvist has started on consecutive days 66 times in his career (41-18-7, 2.03 GAA, .931 Sv%, 6 SO in the 2nd game)

SHUTTING THE DOOR

The Rangers have held opponents to two or fewer goals in each of the last eight games, and nine of the last 10. The current streak of eight games is their longest since holding opponents to two or fewer goals in eight straight games from Dec. 31, 2009 at Carolina to Jan. 14, 2010 vs. Ottawa.

HAT TRICK TRIO

Derek Stepan posted his second career hat trick with three goals in the Rangers' 5-1 win on Saturday vs. Carolina. Stepan, along with linemates Chris Kreider and Mats Zuccarello, combined for nine points in the contest, with Kreider and Zuccarello assisting on each of Stepan's three goals. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the sixth time since the start of the 2005-06 season that a trio accounted for all of the scoring on a hat trick, with Anaheim's line of Kyle Palmieri (hat trick), Corey Perry, and Ryan Getzlaf being the last to accomplish the feat on Feb. 27, 2013.

THE HOT LIST:

Henrik Lundqvist – 4-3-0 with a 1.45 GAA, .943 Sv%, and 2 SO in his last seven appearances

Mats Zuccarello – six assists in the last five games, and seven points (one goal, six assists) in seven games since his healthy scratch on Oct. 24 at PHI

Derek Stepan – six points (four goals, two assists) in the last five games, including four goals in the last three

Chris Kreider – six points (two goals, four assists) in the last five games, and seven points (two goals, five assists) in eight games following his recall on Oct. 20

Carl Hagelin – three-game point streak (two goals, two assists over the span), and five points (two goals, three assists) in five games since returning from injury

Ryan McDonagh – four points (two goals, two assists) in the last five games, and five points (two goals, three assists) in the last seven games

Ryan Callahan – has recorded a point in each of his last four games (four goals, one assist over the span), including two points (one goal, one assist) in two games since returning from injury

Brad Richards – four assists in the last five games, including three assists in the last three

MOVING ON UP

With the Rangers' 5-1 win earlier tonight against Pittsburgh, Head Coach Alain Vigneault moved into a tie with Hall of Famer Punch Imlach for 27th place on the NHL's all-time coaching points list with 954 points in 821 games coached (429-296-35-61).

ROAD WARRIORS

The Rangers concluded their season-opening nine-game road trip with a 3-2 overtime win on Oct. 26 at Detroit. The trip established a franchise record for longest road trip to start the season, breaking the old record of seven games set in 2011-12. It also tied the franchise mark for longest road trip overall, established during the 1955-56 season. Including the preseason schedule, the Rangers were on the road for 28 of 39 days, visiting 14 cities and traveling 15,263 miles. The Blueshirts' home opener on Oct. 28 against Montreal was their latest home opener in a non-lockout shortened season since the 1947-48 season (Oct. 29).

CLOSING TIME

The Blueshirts have registered a point in 97 consecutive regular season games when leading after the second period, dating back to the 2009-10 season, posting a record of 91-0-6 over the span. The Rangers’ last regulation loss in a game when entering the third with the lead was Feb. 4, 2010 (6-5 loss vs. WSH). New York is 5-0-0 when leading after the second period this season.

COUNTDOWN TO 6K

The Rangers have played in 5,957 regular season games throughout the franchise's 88 seasons, just 43 games shy of 6,000 all-time. The Blueshirts are scheduled to play their 6,000th game all-time on February 6 against the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden.

THE KING'S REIGN:

Henrik Lundqvist is one of four active NHL goalies to reach the 20-win mark in eight consecutive seasons (Brodeur, 12; Luongo, 9; Vokoun, 9), and is the only goaltender with an active streak of eight straight 20-win seasons

Was a Vezina Trophy finalist last season, the fifth time in his eight-year career he has been voted a finalist for the award which he won in 2012

Finished last season tied for the league lead with 24 wins, becoming the first Rangers goaltender to lead the league in wins since Mike Richter in 1993-94 (42)

Passed Ed Giacomin as the franchise leader in career total shutouts (regular season + playoffs) with a 20-save shutout in last season's finale against New Jersey, the 51st total shutout of his career

The Blueshirts' netminder has captured Rangers’ MVP honors for a franchise record, seven consecutive years. His seven Rangers’ MVP awards are also a franchise record, passing Brian Leetch (six) for the most in franchise history.

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